Who is eligible to register for the Total Mobility scheme?
To be eligible, an individual must have an impairment that prevents them from undertaking any one or more of the following five components of a journey unaccompanied, on a bus, train or ferry, in a safe and dignified manner:
- Getting to the place from where the transport departs (assumed to be approx 500m).
- Getting onto the transport.
- Riding securely.
- Getting off the transport.
- Getting to the final destination point (assumed to be approx 500m).
The impairment may be physical, sensory, neurological, intellectual, psychiatric/psychological, or another impairment type. The impairment may be permanent, fluctuating, or temporary, but must have lasted, or be expected to last, for a minimum of six months.
It must be the individual’s impairment, not the absence of a bus, train or ferry service in the area, which prevents the individual from using conventional public transport.
The following are situations when impairments may qualify an individual for the Total Mobility scheme:
- inability to independently walk or wheel 500m or to get on/off a bus, train or ferry due to physical impairments (e.g., chronic pain, respiratory condition, reliance on crutches/walking sticks/walking frame/wheelchair).
- inability to independently find one’s way due to sensory, neurological or intellectual impairments (e.g., loss of sight, loss of hearing, dementia).